Most Effective Yoga Poses that You Can Do at Your Desk or Office

In today’s time, most people have jobs that involve sitting for long hours. However, did you know that spending hours glued to your work desk may be detrimental to your health?

A 2015 study found in the Annals of Internal Medicine stated that an average person spends more than half of his or her waking hours sitting, which can be due to watching television, working on a computer, and commuting,among other things.

However, prolonged sedentary time owing to sitting is independently connected to adverse health outcomes, regardless of physical activity.[1]

Inactive Lifestyle and Health Issues

Too much sitting can contribute to discomfort and health issues, including neck and shoulder pain, obesity, musculoskeletal disorders, lower back pain, and even carpal tunnel. It also increases the risk of serious ailments such as diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer.

Advertisements

A sedentary lifestyle also results in increased anxiety and stress levels.[2]

If you do not take steps to become more physically active and spend lesser time sitting down, you may end up with health issues that can last for a lifetime.

Yoga can help you protect yourself from the health hazards that accompany an inactive lifestyle.

Practiced by millions of people all over the world, yoga aids in relieving stress and healing your body and mind.[3]

There are a number of simple yoga poses you can perform while seated at your work desk. For best results, perform these poses 2 or 3 times a day.

Advertisements

Yoga Poses that You Can Perform in Working Hours

Here a few effective yoga poses that you can do while at work.

1. Wrist and Finger Stretch

This exercise relieves tension in the forearms that may occur due to typing or writing at your desk for long hours. When done on a regular basis, it may help prevent carpal tunnel.[4]

Sit up straight in your chair.

Extend your arms to the front, and move your wrists in circular motions in both an inward and outward direction.

Finally, put both arms by your sides and give your wrists a good rapid shake.

2. Chair Cat and Cow Pose

This is an excellent pose to stretch and strengthen the spine, relieve stress, and calm the mind. It also helps by massaging the glands and organs in the abdomen.

Sit straight at the front edge of your chair and place both the feet firmly on the floor (hip-width apart). Your knees should be right above your ankles, and your toes should be pointing front.

Place your palms on your knees or thighs.

Inhale and form the cow pose by opening your chest and shoulders. Now bring your shoulder blades towards each other and push them down towards your hips. This will create an arch in the lower back. Continue to inhale and lift your head up (towards the ceiling) and back.

Inhale and press down from your heels to reach a standing position without using your hands.

From the standing position, exhale and slowly sit down without leaning forward.

Repeat this 5 to 10 times.

6. Seated Forward Bend

This exercise is excellent for relieving discomfort in the hip area. It stretches the lower back and inner thighs and helps release tension in the back, neck, and head. It also relaxes stiff shoulders and improves the flexibility of your upper body.

You need a little room to perform the Seated Forward Bend, so push your chair out from your desk.

Sit near the front edge of the chair.

Separate your feet wide enough so that you have enough space to bend forward.

Position your knees directly over your ankles.

You can place your palms either on your knees or hold the chair.

Inhale and lengthen your spine.

Exhale and fold your body forward from the hips, bringing your head towards the floor. Bring your palms down on to the floor between the feet.

You can press your palms into the floor while keeping your elbows straight. Alternatively, you can press your elbows into your inner thighs to stretch the inner leg muscles.

Maintain this position for a minute or two.

Inhale and come out of the pose.

7. Chair Pigeon Pose

Crossing your legs while being seated creates an imbalance in the hip area and the lower spine. The Chair Pigeon Pose helps restore that balance.

This pose is highly effective for those who complain of stiffness in the hip area due to sitting for long hours in the same position. It stretches the hamstrings and also the piriformis muscle,[5] which gets inflamed and presses against the sciatic nerve causing pain.

Sit at the front end of the chair with a straight spine.

Keep your feet hip-width apart, and position your ankles right under the knees with your toes pointing forward.

Bring your right ankle over the left thigh just above the knee. Keep the foot flexed.

If you have knee problems and can’t bring your ankle all the way over to your thigh, you may stretch your left leg.

Hold this position for 5 to 10 breaths.

Repeat the process with the other leg.

Once you are comfortable with this pose, you may intensify the stretch by bending forward from the hips, leading with your chest.

8. Hamstring Stretch

This simple exercise improves flexibility and releases tension in the legs.

Arrange two chairs facing each other.

Sit up straight on the end of one chair.

Put your right heel on the other chair.

Inhale as you lift both the arms up towards the ceiling and exhale. Bending from the hips, fold forward. Imagine going forward rather than down. Grab your toes, ankle, or where ever you can reach without pulling your shoulders.

Keep your right knee bent if there is pulling on the back of the knee.

9. Cow Face Arms Pose

It also improves core strength and stretches the muscles of the upper back, upper arms, chest, and hips.

Sit up straight in your chair with knees and feet hip-width apart and toes pointing front.

Inhale and stretch your right arm up. Exhale and bring the right palm between the shoulder blades. Your right elbow should point up towards the ceiling.

Inhale and stretch your left palm out at the shoulder level with palm facing back. Exhale and take your arm around your back while keeping your palm facing up.

Clasp your fingers together if possible. You may use a belt or a scarf if you can’t reach the fingers.

Hold this position for 5 to 10 breaths.

Switch arms and repeat.

10. Seated Twist Pose

This simple yoga pose can make your spine and back more flexible. It also stretches your upper body and shoulders to help reduce shoulder pain. This pose massages the glands and organs in the abdomen, improves digestion, detoxifies the body, and improves circulation in the abdominal region.

The Seated Twist pose also helps relieve stress, mild depression, back pain, and menstrual symptoms as well as brings mental clarity.

Plus, it also helps increase the oxygen supply to the lungs.

Sit in your chair with your side body facing the back of the chair.

Press your sit bones down into the chair and bring your body to an upright position. Place your feet firmly on the ground with knees and feet as wide as your hips. Make sure your toes are pointing forward.

Inhale and keep your spine straight. Exhale and twist to your right side from the bottom of your spine. Bring your hands to the back of the chair.

Relax your shoulders. Move the bottom of the right shoulder blade towards the spine and bottom of the left shoulder blade away from the spine so that both the shoulders are in line.

When you have rotated as far as you think you possibly can, turn your head to look over your left shoulder.

Take a few deep breaths, and then return to the original position.

Repeat the process on the other side.

If possible, sit on the floor in a cross-legged position when doing this simple exercise.

Caution: This yoga pose is not recommended for those with knee or lower-back maladies.

Before going back to your work, give yourself a few minutes to relax. Remember, for every action, there is a reaction, and yoga is not an exception.

Sparing a few minutes to focus on your breathing can help reduce stress and prevent fatigue. Also, it will make you feel more energetic.

Sit comfortably and cross your arms.

Place your crossed arms on the surface in front of you.

Rest your head on your crossed arms.

Keep your eyes closed and concentrate on your breathing.

Remain in this position for 10 minutes before going back to your work.

Resources:

Sedentary Time and Its Association With Risk for Disease Incidence, Mortality, and Hospitalization in Adults: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Annals of Internal Medicine. http://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/2091327/sedentary-time-its-association-risk-disease-incidence-mortality-hospitalization-adults?doi=10.7326%2fM14-1651. Published January 20, 2015.

Comments 1

Sitting. It’s such a natural posture. but lately, it feels as if we’re being told more and more just how bad it is. For most of us though, it’s an unavoidable aspect of life. Thanks for sharing this information with us. it helps a lot of people.

All the tips mentioned here are strictly informational. This site does not provide medical advice. Consult with your doctor or other health care provider before using any of these tips or treatments. Read more.